Transcript avicenna - the Education Forum

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In the 7th century AD the new religion of Islam
spread rapidly through the Middle East, North
Africa and even into Spain and Portugal.
Islamic territories united under one ruler or
caliph
Around 750 -1050AD was known as the
‘golden age’ of this new Islamic empire
At a time of regression for medicine in
Christian Western Europe there was a period
of considerable progress for medicine in the
Islamic Empire
RELIGION – unlike Christianity the Islamic faith was less restrictive of
medical practice – the Koran encouraged the study of medicine and
not all dissection was forbidden. The Koran also made care for the
sick a religious duty
GOVERNMENT – the strength, wealth and power of the empire made
progress likely. Islam was ruled by a single man, the caliph from the
capital Baghdad
EDUCATION – the study of the ancient writings of Hippocrates and
Galen was encouraged but was also critical. For instance Rhazes
wrote a book called ‘Doubts on Galen’. Great libraries emerged
across the empire but especially in Baghdad
INDIVIDUALS – there was a number of significant Islamic individuals
contributing to medicine – RHAZES, AVICENNA and ALBUCASIS were
the three main ones
WAR – the Islamic empire captured the old eastern capital of the old
Roman empire Byzantium 1453 and began to laboriously translate
the works of Hippocrates and Galen into Arabic – at a time when
many of the Ancient works had been destroyed or lost in the West.
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Compiled a full summary of all existing medical
Knowledge “The Canon of Medicine” which
included insights from the Ancients and from
Islamic doctors
It included chapters on eating disorders, obesity
and thousands of drugs and herbs and their use
He travelled around the Arab Empire and spent
time teaching and practising medicine in
Cordoba, Spain. He was the first surgeon to
describe the different parts of the eye
Avicenna’s book was translated into Latin used as
a standard textbook across Europe right up to
the Renaissance
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Rhazes was a Persian doctor in a major
hospital in Baghdad around 900AD
He built on the work of Hippocrates’ on
clinical observation making extensive notes
on skin colour, rash, cough, temperature etc
In his major work ‘Al-Hawi’ Rhazes was the
first doctor to note the difference between
measles and smallpox
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Worked in Islamic Spain in around 936AD as a
surgeon
Had great skills in amputations, removing
bladder stones, dentistry (wooden dentures),
how to set fractures and treat dislocations –
far in advance of western Christian surgery
The Islamic faith taught that surgery was
allowed to relieve pain and suffering in
contrast to Christianity where nearly all
dissection and surgery was banned
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Anatomy – the doctor Ibn an-Nafis was able
to study Galen critically and proved many of
Galen’s conclusions were wrong long before
Vesalius
Chemistry – the Arab doctors added many
new drugs to general use such as laudanum
(pain relief), senna (laxative), musk (anti
inflammatory and anti histamine), benzoin
(anti bacterial resin), and camphor (anti
fungal agent)
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Describe the contributions of 3 Arab doctors
in the Middle Ages
Explain why Islamic medicine was superior to
Christian medicine in the Middle Ages (use
Factors)